Health-Related Quality of Life among Elderly Individuals with Both Diabetes and Disabilities in Korea: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey

Background: Disability is an important factor to consider when providing care aimed at improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly individuals with diabetes. However, few studies have explored the influence of disability on HRQoL in this group. This study aimed to compare HRQoL among elderly individuals with and without disabilities who were diagnosed with diabetes, and to identify factors related to HRQoL. Method: A sample of 927 participants with diabetes aged from 65 to 98 was obtained from the Korean Health Panel in 2017 (195 were disabled). Differences in HRQoL were assessed among independent samples between participants with disabilities and those without disabilities using t-tests and Chi-square tests. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis determined factors related to HRQoL among participants with disabilities. Results: All dimensions of HRQoL in participants with disabilities were significantly poorer than in those without disabilities. Lower levels of instrumental activities of daily living (β = -0.509, p ＜ 0.001), hypertension (β = -0.152, p = 0.008), arthritis (β = -0.133, p = 0.019), high stress (β = -0.193, p ＜ 0.001), and higher levels of physical activity (β = 0.156, p = 0.006) were significantly associated with HRQoL in elderly participants with both diabetes and disabilities. Conclusion: Elderly individuals with diabetes and disabilities are more likely to have poorer HRQoL than those without disabilities. The results demonstrate HRQoL are associated with lower levels of instrumental activities of daily living, hypertension, arthritis, high stress, and higher levels of physical activity.